Frightening Nights
Frightening Nights is the second book in Catatouille101's popular series The Thunder Cats. The cat on the cover is Scooter. Blurb When Cream is attacked and nearly killed by a badger, she decides she will never leave her den ever again to be safe. Dakota starts to realize that Cream needs to exercise and get some fresh air, because she gets lazier and fatter every day. Later, Scooter gets drunk from obessessively drinking alcohol he found in the forest. If he continues to do this, he may end up killing someone from his drunkness, or killing himself. Synopsis Dakota is seen sunning himself on a boulder close to his den, thinking about the creation of the Thunder Cats. He mentally comments on the choice of name when his new best friend, Scooter, interrupts. Scooter mentions that he heard about him and Cream becoming mates. They chat for a while, but Scooter leaves and then Dakota eats a sparrow. He takes a nap afterwards and dreams about being in a clearing with a crazy cat that turns out to be Scooter. Scooter in the dream cuts open Dakota’s neck – killing him in the dream yet waking him in real life. He sees Scooter watching him and threatens him, confusing his friend. Scooter reassures Dakota that he isn’t going to hurt him. Dakota blames his nightmare and gives Scooter some clean moss he requests. Scooter leaves to replace his dirty moss leaving Dakota trying to sleep again, but he cannot recover from his nightmare and continues to relive it. He mentally curses himself and falls into a dreamless (and nightmare-less) sleep. Dakota awakes again to the sound of birds. He leaves his den and sees Cream grooming her fur. They greet each other formally and then romanticize. Cream comments on the gossip of their mateship and says that it is annoying her; causing Dakota to classically cock his head. Cream asks if he wants to hunt with her. He agrees and they see a mother bird feeding her two chicks while the father guards them. Cream hints at wanting kittens and Dakota pictures her suckling two kittens while he guards them. They continue to hunt with no luck as there is no fresh prey around. Cream finds a hole reeking of badger and wriggles into it. Dakota follows nervously, and they arrive in the centre of the den, where a large pile of dead mice lies. The badger suddenly appears and the pair dart back up into the forest, but the badger follows and nearly kills Cream and injures Dakota. Dakota blinds it and it flees. He takes Cream to Sunny for healing. Dakota awakes the next day pressed up against Cream. Cream moves around a lot during the morning. Dakota sneezes after she kicks up some dust and accidently wakes her up. Cream then reveals that she is never going to leave her nest again. She suggests that Dakota should do the same. She limps out of Sunny’s den and Dakota leaves for Scooter’s den. The two go for a short walk and they find a pile of dumped bottles of alcohol. Foolishly, Scooter pulls the cap off of a bottle and starts to drink it. Scooter offers some to Dakota who declines and repeatedly fills up a leaf with more of the addictive liquid. Scooter gets drunk and threatens Dakota like in his dream. Dakota knocks Scooter out and takes him to Sunny. Sunny recognises the scent of alcohol on Scooter’s breath and says that he is lucky that he isn’t dead. She then says that cats shouldn’t drink alcohol and explains the meaning of ’’drunk’’ to Dakota. Dakota then brings a vole to Cream’s den. She mentions that Jet, Tia and Nia brought her two mice and a rabbit and that an extra piece won’t go amiss. She says that she’s safe in her den. She scoffs down the vole and Dakota stomps out. He catches Scooter sneaking out to drink more alcohol. He claims that it’s safe and he needs it. Scooter instantly drains two bottles and threatens Dakota again. He drains a third bottle and knocks himself out again. Dakota calls Sunny and she recommends some water and some sleep. They take him back to Sunny’s den and give him some water from a pond at the back of her den. Dakota leaves the den and plots to hide the alcohol in the dead of the night. Dakota awakens in the dead of the night like he planned and creeps out of his den. He accidently runs into Nia and explains about Scooter’s addictive alcohol problems. Nia tags along and the pair dig a hole and bury the alcohol. They then return to their camp and sleep. Dakota is again woken by more birds and checks on Scooter and Sunny. Scooter is gone. He checks around without any luck and then is directed to the clearing by Jet. Scooter is found lapping at the alcohol after he’s dug it up. He claims he smelt it. Sunny then comes and attacks Scooter and cries in desperation that he needs it. Dakota feels upset and aims to help him. Dakota brings Cream a mouse, only to feel a mix of emotions including anger when he realises that she’s already eaten. He wonders who is continually feeding her. Cream scoffs the mouse greedily, disgusting Dakota. He leaves and hunts in the forest. When he tries to kill a broken-winged chick, the mother attacks him. The mother bird scratches his cheek and takes away the chick. Suddenly, he hears a screech from Sunny’s den and finds Scooter drooling and attacking Sunny. Scooter attacks Dakota while he and Sunny try to beg him to stop drinking the alcohol. Scooter says that he never wanted to kill a cat so badly when he corners Sunny and bites the back of her neck. Dakota then panics and swiftly cleans up her wound with cobwebs. He checks her pulse and notices that she is still alive and stitches up the back of her neck. Sunny wakes up. Dakota asks why Scooter seemed so wild. Sunny suggests that the drunken feeling must have come back to him. Dakota leaves Sunny and goes to Cream’s den. He is horrified by his mate’s obesity and demands that she leaves her nest. Her new excuse is that Scooter will hurt her if she leaves. Dakota risks his relationship with Cream and snarls at her. Dakota decides to deal with Scooter rather than Cream first. Dakota reaches the clearing and finds out that Scooter has smashed the bottles. He declares that the fight with Sunny and Dakota had awoken his normal senses. Dakota feels proud of his friend and says so, but Scooter sadly says that he shouldn’t be proud of him. The pair dig a hole and fill it with the glass. Scooter jokes that one stupid human must have put the alcohol there, and Dakota suspects that it could have been Harold. Dakota is sitting on the love boulder alone, thinking about his date with Cream that night to watch the eclipse. Cream suddenly arrives sorrowfully and slimmer and utters a vow never to ditch him like a selfish fool again. The two lie together and watch the eclipse. References & Citations Category:Season 1